Program Checks Welfare Of Homebound

The Police Access to the Homebound Program (PATH) is a service provided by the Payson police department and primarily run by department volunteers.

"Basically, it's for any age group of people who are homebound -- either temporarily or permanently," Payson Police Lt. Don Engler said.

Every weekday morning between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., a call the homebound person to check on them.

"They will receive a call from the police department to make sure they are up and about and OK," Engler said. "If we don't receive an answer, we dispatch a patrol volunteer to check on them.

Engler said if the volunteer still is unable to contact the person, then a police officer will do a more in-depth welfare check.

The program is free and sign-ups are done by the volunteers.

"We send out a volunteer to do an initial interview and get all the information we need such as phone numbers of friends or relatives," Engler said. According to Engler, the program currently serves nearly 40 individuals in the community.

The program does not require a referral from an agency and a person can call the department and arrange to sign up for the service themselves.

According to Kim Becker, PATH Program coordinator, those in need of the service who don't live within city limits can still sign up.

"We have several people who live in Star Valley and Pine and Strawberry," Becker said. "We will call them, but the difference is that if a welfare check is needed, we turn it over to the sheriff's office and they do that part of it."

For more information on the PATH Program, call Kim Becker at (928) 474-5242 Ext. 209.